During my years as an elementary school teacher, my most favorite thing to teach students was how to read. When the connection between letters and sounds and actual words on a page clicked, it was like watching a light bulb turn on in a child's eyes. And then there was no stopping them! Every book was a new adventure, a new challenge, a new accomplishment. Reading is perhaps one of the greatest gifts someone can ever receive because it opens up so many doors to new possibilities and places everywhere.
As a parent, I knew that it was important to read to Emma-Caroline and Sophie from the beginning, even in utero. Howie and I have read countless number of books to our girls every day and the girls have a true love for books. Each night they go to bed with a least 100 books in their beds that they have listened to and retold to their dolls and stuffed animals.
This year, as Emma-Caroline has been in kindergarten, I wondered if she would learn to read. I had hesitated to teach her to read before she started kindergarten because I had seen one too many times the ill affects of "pushing" reading too soon on a child before their brains were ready to make that connection. And my instinct to not push her proved correct.
She went into kindergarten with a wide knowledge of book awareness and print concepts and even knew many site words. Now mid-way through, she is reading like wild fire any and every book she can and with full comprehension of what she is reading.
She completes AR (Accelerated Reader) tests which awards points if a child answers comprehension questions correctly based on the story.
I love that Emma-Caroline has a passion for reading. I love that her new reading skills have opened up new worlds for her to explore.
I love the confidence she is gaining with each book that she reads.
I love that she takes the time to not only read to me and her daddy but also to her little sister. It is such a sweet time. Emma-Caroline's love of reading has also rekindled my love for reading and I have sought out new books for myself to read and get lost in. It's a great adventure, the world of reading, and I am so glad I am along for the ride with my very own little readers, Emma-Caroline and Sophie.
5 comments:
what a cute post & so very true!
we were just talking about the books we were each reading last night at dinner
xo
Amy, those pictures of Emma-Caroline are so adorable. They remind me of you when you were that age. You, also, loved your books and reading. I am so glad that both of your daughters have such a love and appreciation that you and Howie gave to them. Emma-Caroline really looks like the little scholar in those pictures!
I get excited hearing about kids reading! Yay Emma-Caroline!
That is really great. I have always known Emma-Caroline with a book in her hand. Her love of them is amazing and it will take her places for ever and ever. So glad Amy you and Howie realized the importance of reading.
Awesome!!!
Aunt Brenda - Memphis, TN
Wow....that is great....I wish I liked to read more...I always admired people who read a lot and they always seemed so keen and brillant to me. They should do very well in school with this skill and a Mother and Father like you snd Howie to stand behind them and guide them in the right way.
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